up?”
“I’ve told you guys an awful lot about myself. And I know you nixed any personal questions, which is fine, but if I’m gonna be on the bus, maybe you could enlighten some on the dynamics?”
“Like?” I ask, puzzled.
“Conner’s your brother and Bruce is your uncle, got that part. But how do Rhett and Jarrett come in to play? ‘Cause I gotta tell ya, they had to drag Rhett out with them tonight. He actually threatened to dismember me on his way out. I think he might standing outside with his ear to the bus right now, waiting for an excuse to kill me.”
I wouldn’t be surprised, no more than I was at the fact he’d left us here alone in the first place. But Rhett knows if I need help and call out for Conner, my brother would have Cannon’s ass in seconds, no pause for conscience or repercussions, and snap his neck like a twig. And I suspect he needed some space to come to terms with the fact that he too has realized Cannon’s harmless. Rhett roots for bad—it’s easier to immediately dismiss someone than give them a chance. He just sees that as their “chance” to hurt you. With that mood of his on stage tonight, I’m glad he went out. This bus feels claustrophobic enough already.
“Rhett’s a little overprotective, but his heart is in the right place. He loves me and Conner, that’s all. We’ve been through a lot together, so he’s leery of new people.”
He shifts, elbow propped up, cheek in his hand. “You guys all grew up together, or—”
“Yep.”
“Enough already, no need to elaborate.” He chuckles.
“I won’t.”
“All right, I can take a hint. So, where are we playing next?”
“I know we’re here another night, and then, I honestly have no idea. We’ll have to ask Bruce.” I yawn, settling deeper into my pillow. I close my eyes and try to even out my breathing, our close proximity, the dim lights, and the hushed, nighttime voices making it infinitely more difficult than normal. But I can feel the weight of his stare on me; he hasn’t moved, more questions dying to claw their way out of his mouth. I’ve asked a lot of him and his blind faith, so I decide to throw him a bone and lift my sleepy lids. “What?”
“Why do you do all this?” He twirls a finger around in the air. “The band, the traveling. Why do you do it?”
“Just because I don’t know all our stops doesn’t mean I don’t like it.”
“I think that’s exactly what it means. You’re on top of every little thing with Conner, Rhett’s shift in mood, things you truly care about.”
I roll my eyes in the near darkness, fending off his way too keen observations. “You’re wrong. I love the band.”
“That, I know. It’s abundantly clear you love each one of them. But do you love being in the band?”
I hate this, the receiving end of examination. Like cooking a bug on the summer sidewalk, my skin burns, throat itches, and I feel unguarded, without my armor. When are the guys getting back? He’s already managed to creep into my secret thoughts, now he’s trying to unarm me out loud as well.
“Too much, I’m sorry. Forget I said anything.” His voice gentles as he rolls to his back. “Goodnight, you witchy little thing.”
“Night,” I mutter, as unsettled and far from sleep as I could possibly get.
Chapter 6
The enticing aroma of bacon and muffled, persistent laughs from Conner wake me the next morning. Stretching, I pivot and crane my neck to peek out the bunk, praying Conner’s not doing the cooking.
“Bethy, where are my fish?” He’d been ready, obviously waiting for the moment my head emerged, finally having noticed the absence of his pets, which I was hoping he’d forgotten for good.
“We’ll get some more, Bubs, I promise,” I croak out in an unattractive morning voice. “And good morning to you too.”
He bounds over, grabbing my hand to drag me from the warmth of my bed. “Cannon and I are making breakfast!”
Hurriedly checking my wardrobe for any
“I’ve told you guys an awful lot about myself. And I know you nixed any personal questions, which is fine, but if I’m gonna be on the bus, maybe you could enlighten some on the dynamics?”
“Like?” I ask, puzzled.
“Conner’s your brother and Bruce is your uncle, got that part. But how do Rhett and Jarrett come in to play? ‘Cause I gotta tell ya, they had to drag Rhett out with them tonight. He actually threatened to dismember me on his way out. I think he might standing outside with his ear to the bus right now, waiting for an excuse to kill me.”
I wouldn’t be surprised, no more than I was at the fact he’d left us here alone in the first place. But Rhett knows if I need help and call out for Conner, my brother would have Cannon’s ass in seconds, no pause for conscience or repercussions, and snap his neck like a twig. And I suspect he needed some space to come to terms with the fact that he too has realized Cannon’s harmless. Rhett roots for bad—it’s easier to immediately dismiss someone than give them a chance. He just sees that as their “chance” to hurt you. With that mood of his on stage tonight, I’m glad he went out. This bus feels claustrophobic enough already.
“Rhett’s a little overprotective, but his heart is in the right place. He loves me and Conner, that’s all. We’ve been through a lot together, so he’s leery of new people.”
He shifts, elbow propped up, cheek in his hand. “You guys all grew up together, or—”
“Yep.”
“Enough already, no need to elaborate.” He chuckles.
“I won’t.”
“All right, I can take a hint. So, where are we playing next?”
“I know we’re here another night, and then, I honestly have no idea. We’ll have to ask Bruce.” I yawn, settling deeper into my pillow. I close my eyes and try to even out my breathing, our close proximity, the dim lights, and the hushed, nighttime voices making it infinitely more difficult than normal. But I can feel the weight of his stare on me; he hasn’t moved, more questions dying to claw their way out of his mouth. I’ve asked a lot of him and his blind faith, so I decide to throw him a bone and lift my sleepy lids. “What?”
“Why do you do all this?” He twirls a finger around in the air. “The band, the traveling. Why do you do it?”
“Just because I don’t know all our stops doesn’t mean I don’t like it.”
“I think that’s exactly what it means. You’re on top of every little thing with Conner, Rhett’s shift in mood, things you truly care about.”
I roll my eyes in the near darkness, fending off his way too keen observations. “You’re wrong. I love the band.”
“That, I know. It’s abundantly clear you love each one of them. But do you love being in the band?”
I hate this, the receiving end of examination. Like cooking a bug on the summer sidewalk, my skin burns, throat itches, and I feel unguarded, without my armor. When are the guys getting back? He’s already managed to creep into my secret thoughts, now he’s trying to unarm me out loud as well.
“Too much, I’m sorry. Forget I said anything.” His voice gentles as he rolls to his back. “Goodnight, you witchy little thing.”
“Night,” I mutter, as unsettled and far from sleep as I could possibly get.
Chapter 6
The enticing aroma of bacon and muffled, persistent laughs from Conner wake me the next morning. Stretching, I pivot and crane my neck to peek out the bunk, praying Conner’s not doing the cooking.
“Bethy, where are my fish?” He’d been ready, obviously waiting for the moment my head emerged, finally having noticed the absence of his pets, which I was hoping he’d forgotten for good.
“We’ll get some more, Bubs, I promise,” I croak out in an unattractive morning voice. “And good morning to you too.”
He bounds over, grabbing my hand to drag me from the warmth of my bed. “Cannon and I are making breakfast!”
Hurriedly checking my wardrobe for any
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